Kats can't stop Mee, Martin in 64-39 league loss to Libby

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Columbia Falls High School varsity girls basketball coach Dan Fairbank knew that if the Wildkats contained Libby 6-foot sophomore Jackie Mee as well as they did during the first meeting of the season, they would be in position to win Friday night's Northwestern A Conference game.

Mee was under her season average with 15 points in early January, but nearly everything she shot went in Friday. Mee netted 11 of her game-high 28 points in the first period and the Loggers coasted to a 64-39 victory.

The Kats have three conference games remaining and take a 1-6 league and 3-12 overall mark into Friday's game at Ronan. They host Whitefish at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

"We did a super job of defending her in her gym," Fairbank said of the first CF-Libby game.

The coach said the Kats had basically the same game plan Friday, but Mee "lit it up." She nailed a trio of 3-pointers in the first half, scoring 19 points as the Loggers took a 33-21 lead into halftime.

It was Libby's overall shooting from the field that told the rest of the story. The Loggers shot 51 percent.

"They just came out and shot lights out," Fairbank said, adding that the Loggers shot 60 percent from behind the 3-point arc.

In the meantime, the Kats turned the ball over five times during a seven-possession span in the opening quarter, leaving them with a 21-9 deficit. For the game, CFHS suffered 25 turnovers — all but one of them unforced.

Brittany Martin was 3-for-3 on treys in the fourth quarter, where she scored 11 of her 20 points.

Rebounding was a bright spot for the Kats.

"We pounded them on the boards," Fairbank said, as the Kats outrebounded the Loggers, 43-18. Sam Ladenburg hauled in 12 rebounds for the Kats.

Playing the last three quarters, freshman Kayla DeWitt had a stellar game. She was 5-for-7 from the field, scored 10 points and had seven rebounds.

Alyssa Ladenburg led in scoring with 15 points. Sarah Marcille had three assists.

LIBBY (4-3, 9-5)

Hageness 0 1-2 1, Kulbeck 1 0-0 2, Martin 7 1-4 20, Green 0 0-0 0, Dedrick 6 0-0 12, Rios 0 0-0 0, Mee 11 2-2 28. Totals 25 5-11 64.

COLUMBIA FALLS (1-6, 3-12)

Fields 1 0-0 2, A. Ladenburg 6 2-4 15, Smith 1 0-0 2, Grilley 0 0-0 0, Marcille 0 0-0 0, Westgard 0 0-0 0, S. Ladenburg 2 0-4 4, Hislop 0 2-2 2, Kelsey DeWitt 2 0-2 4, Kayla DeWitt 5 0-0 10. Totals 17 4-12 39.

Libby 21 12 15 16 — 64

Columbia Falls 9 12 9 9 — 39

3-point goals: Martin 5, Mee 4; A. Ladenburg. Team fouls: Libby 11, CF 12. Fouled out: None.